Safety pedestal



Feb. 5, 1924. 1,482,743

' c. R. GROVER SAFETY PEDESTAL Filed Aug} 23 1923 15 16 19 AQW Hack 1/:

Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

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FFEQEO SAFETY PEDESTAL.

Application filed August 23, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, CHARLES R. GRovER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Nashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Pedestals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to caster-mounted pedestals or stands, and has particular reference to such devices intendedto be employed for supporting machines or articles the weight or construction of which is such as to result in damage if it tips and falls.

Pedestals mounted on casters so as to be readily moved about without lifting them, are used for many purposes such as for sup porting typewriting machines, adding machines, and radio outfits. As is well-known, such pedestals having the ordinary feet and casters are liable to tilt and fall if pushed accidentally and even when moved intentionally but without exercising due care to keep it vertical. This is because any tilting which causes the center of gravity of the pedestal and its burden to pass beyond the line of the supporting casters, results in said casters quickly rolling in a direction the reverse of the direction of the tilt, and then the whole crashes to the floor or ground.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pedestal or stand which can be readily moved about without friction and Without liability of falling over due to any backward movement of its caster-carrying feet. This object is accomplished by providing each foot of the pedestal with something adjacent to its rolling support which will, as soon as the pedestal is tipped to a very limited degree or angle, engage the floor and prevent the base from shifting away from load-supporting position.

With this object in view, the invention consists in the construction and relative arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of one type of pedestal constructed according to my invention, and

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-v2 of Figure 1, on a larger scale.

Serial. 1W0. 658,963.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in both of the figures.

The pedestal or stand having the form selected for illustration comprises a flat top member 12 which may be of metal or, preferably, wood, on which a typewriting or other machine or article is to be placed. Said top member 12 is suitably secured to the upper end of a stem or upright 13 havmg a base comprising legs 14 the outer ends of which are hereinafter referred to as feet 15. Each foot is deeply recessed to receive, secured within it, a caster device which, preferably comprises a large ball 16 revoluble in any direction in a casing 17 which latter is suitably secured in the recess of the foot, the top of the ball 16 bearing against a series of small balls 18.

I make no claim to the specific form of caster device illustrated. It is well-known. Any other suitable type of caster device may be employed. It is essential however that the lower surface of each ball 16, or its equivalent, shall not protrude much below the plane of the edge 19 of the recessed portion of the foot 15 which contains it. It is not essential that the edge 19 shall be, continuously, in a single plane, so long as portions of said edge, or equivalents thereof, are so close to the floor line that the first movement of the pedestal in a tipping direction will cause an edge portion (usually edge portions of two of the feet) to bite against the floor; in other words, act as a brake to prevent the base of the pedestal, as a whole, from rolling or slipping laterally away from supporting position.

The hooded form of the feet 15 not only serves the purpose which has been described, but also improves the appearance of the base as a whole, and serves to prevent injury to the feet of a person whose toes might otherwise get under the tips of the feet.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific form of pedestal illustrated, nor to any particular use to which it is to be put. The top member 12 may be of any other preferred form, and the connection between it and the base need not consist of a single stem or upright. And, obviously, there may be four legs instead of three.

Having now described my invention, I that when it is tilted, edge portions of the claim: hoods engage the floor before the pedestal A pedestal having its feet provided with reaches an inclined position that would per- 10 hooded roller-bearing casters, edge portions mit gravity to cause it to fall. of the hoods extending nearly to the plane In testimony whereof I have afiixed my of the floor-engaging surfaces of the casters, signature. said pedestal being characterized by the fact CHARLES R. GROVER. 

